Demands, demands, demands

In our environment we are heavily loaded with a lot of work, expectations of society, fast tempo of life and pressures from the mass media. We should have a brilliant career and a child before we are thirty, be a loving and passionate partner and a good parent. We should look like people from the commercials and be happy like people from the commercials.

Of course reality is different - more human. Each one of us has his own way and the only right thing is that we catch out own life pace.

But different requests that others have for us, or - very important - that we have for ourselves, can cause internal tensions, restlessness, feelings of anxiety and/or sadness. Maybe we have experienced something terrible, but it is also possible that nothing specified has happened to us.  We all have a chance that we face mental problems and/or disorders. No one is "immune" and they can happen to any of us.

However, at least once in a lifetime everyone faces a certain (greater or lesser) mental crisis. Crises are usually a reflection of changes and are something ordinary, until we can cope with them.



5 tips for increasing inner peace

We can take care of our mental well-being with a daily routine:

-Let's get enough sleep. Although 8 hours of sleep should be enough, people are different. If we feel that we need more sleep, we can go to bed a little earlier or we can compensate some sleepless hours with a prolonged morning sleep on the weekends.

-We should drink enough water or unsweetened tea. We can always have a bottle of water near us that we do not forget to drink. It often happens that we eat but we do not know why. At these moments we have to ask ourselves if we are not hungry, but thirsty. Let's listen to out body.

-More water, less alcohol. Alcohol can cause a hangower anxiety in people who are prone to anxiety in everyday life, so be sure to drink moderately.

-Let's get sporty. We should not think about beautiful body and shape, but ask ourselves which sport would really impress us. Even if we do not master it, we can start practicing it little by little. If instead of looking good we are thinking about feeling good, we will probably choose a different type of sport, which will also represent a bigger source of joy. If we do not feel like running but we like to play squash, we should choose squash, even though we will spend a little less calories.

-We have to find some time only for ourselves. This is not the time when we are passively watching TV, using social media or hanging with our friends, but a time in which we do not absorb innumerable information and we try to focus on "here and now" instead. We can go on a walk where we focus ob observing the nature. We can read  a few chapters of the book that let us forget about the rest of the world. We can lay down and listen to music, perform relaxation techniques (for example, progressive muscle relaxation) or meditate.



When we cannot handle it alone

Sometimes, despite various tips, we can hardly continue without a proper conversation about our thoughts and emotions. Why wouldn't we do something to gain greater inner peace and to walk easier through life?

Firstly, we can talk with a person we trust (e.g. a friend or family member), because sometimes it helps to simply share our thoughts with someone. If we realize that this is not enough for us, we should turn to an expert.
 
Even though mental problems are often threated as a taboo, we don't need to be afraid or ashamed. If we break an arm, we go to the doctor. So why we don't go to a doctor, when our soul is broken? Let's help to ourselves and find an expert - psychologist or psychoterapist - who will guide us toward greater subjective well-being. Let's be careful and find a person with university education, not self-trained therapist, counselors or healers, because they can worsen the situation. Be courageous, seek help!